Promise?
by abrightredrose
Summary: Katniss and Peeta continue to live their lives as they normally would and act as though each other don't exist. When Peeta decides to finally make his move, Katniss's world is turned upside down. Pre-Hunger Games, AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

**Authors Note – **I'm sorry if I haven't captured Katniss perfectly or if she seems OOC. This is my first Hunger Games FanFiction.

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><p>It was a typical Wednesday afternoon. Mrs. Amherst, our History teacher whose blonde hair is always kept in a tight-sophisticated bun, was giving us a long discussion about a coal mining production they used to carry out fifty years ago. And as usual, I found myself gazing out of the narrow window for the hundredth time, absorbed in my own thoughts.<p>

I think back to the first time my father had taught me to swim. It was in the middle of summer (a day very much like this) and even though it was warm outside, the lake was freezing cold. I was just like any other six-year-old, afraid of what lurked beneath the surface of the water. He promised he wouldn't let me go once we were in the water and he always kept his promises.

Apart from that _one _promise.

I still remember that day vividly. I was just eleven, getting myself ready for school and my father gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead like he did every morning, telling me to have good day and that I'll see him after school in his usual tender voice. He promised me that we would sit by the lake and have a little picnic with the sweet bread he managed to get and the berries we saved from last time.

I went by the day as usual. I was in History class when the sirens went off. All of us headed out to the entrance of the mine not knowing what was going on. People were covered in black ash as they came up in the elevator. I frantically searched for my father in the herds of people that were coming up, but he didn't show.

I told myself that night not to cry. Crying wouldn't help ease the pain. When my younger sister Prim broke down, I held her and told her it was going to be okay. That night I made a promise to myself; I would follow my father's footsteps and do whatever it takes to care and protect my family.

I was too absorbed into my thoughts. It wasn't until the light purple of Mrs. Amherst's ribbon, that glistened in the sunlight that pulled me out of my thoughts. The deep purple reminded me of the berries that are perched on the bush opposite the hollow log.

The bell rang a couple of minutes later, signalizing the end of the day. I shoved my heavy textbooks into my bag and made my way out of the classroom to the grassy area outside where I would wait for Prim so we could walk home together.

The younger classes would always be let out much later than the older class so I occupy myself under the spindly tree shading myself from the sun's hot rays. I spot a single dandelion in the ground and I bend down to pull it out from its roots when I see a pair of sparkling blue eyes staring at me from the other side of the area.

_Why is he staring at me like that?_ I think to myself. I stand back up straight and stare back at him hoping it would make him turn away. But he just continues to stare at me. Was it because I wasn't paying attention in class and he caught me daydreaming? Or was it? _No_, that happened years ago I doubt he would even remember that.

The bell rang and one by one the kids ran out in glee, embracing that the school day is finally over which means they're another day closer to the weekend.

I turn back around and see Prim in the distance with her usual radiant smile painted across her face. She says goodbye to her friends Annabel and Charlotte and then walks over to me.

"Hey little duck," I greet her with a smile. "Did you have a good day?," I ask her.

She nods. "It was good. Guess what, Annabel said she went by the bakery yesterday with her parents and she said they had the most beautiful cake she'd ever seen! Before we go home can we go see the cakes just this once please!" she pleaded desperately.

"I don't know Prim," I say warily.

"Please, just this once and then we head straight home. I promise!"

I sigh but concede. "Ok, but just this once and then we go straight home," I say to her softly but authoritively.

She squeals in delight and link her arm through mine as we walk out of the school grounds.

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><p>We arrive at the merchant area of District 12 (the much wealthier part of the District) not too long after. "Five minutes and not another minute more" I tell Prim firmly and a radiant smile etches across her face.<p>

She presses her face against the glass of the window and peers into the bakery to get a closer look at the goods that are on display. Of course we could never afford to purchase something extravagant such as a cookie or a cake, but I've always wondered what the taste of a completely iced cookie would taste like, would the texture be soft and melt in your mouth like I imagined.

"Oh Katniss" Prim says in a dream-like voice. "This cake is beautiful you have to see it," she reaches for my hand and pulls me towards the glass. I sigh and look through the glass and even I have to admit they all look so delicious. But the one cake that catches my eye is not on display yet, however it is still being iced as I speak.

The purple and blue icing has been swirled and decorated perfectly into flower designs and my eyes follow the swirls and shapes they make as they come out of the nozzle. I find a small smile tug at the corner of my lips. However, the smile soon falters when the familiar blue eyes meet mine once again.

But this time, his eyes aren't curious yet there's a tinge of urgency embedded into them, like he's trying to tell me something. Immediately I see a slender figure move from behind him and I already know who it is. "Ok Prim, five minutes are up," I say moving her and myself away from the glass.

"But it feels like we just got here," she purses her lips into a frown as we both quickly walk away from the bakery.

"Time flies when you have fun little duck," I tell her softly as we walk to the place we call home.

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><p>Once we arrive home I prepare a quick snack for Prim while she feeds her pets, Buttercup and Lady. I place the snack that consists of a slice of bread and some leftover squirrel stew on the table and walk upstairs into my bedroom.<p>

I slip on my father's hunting jacket and quickly redo my hair into my traditional braid. I slide on my old hunting boots and grab my forage bag. I tell Prim I'll be back in a couple of hours and leave the house.

Our house is near the edge of the Seam, the poorest part of the district filled with squat grey houses and coal miners. I only have to pass a few houses before I get to the field named the Meadow.

A high chain-link electric fence separates the Meadow from the woods. I lean in closely and listen carefully for the humming sound of electricity and when I hear nothing; I flatten my belly and slip through the weak point in the fence and once again enter the tranquility that is the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed, it means a lot to me. Enjoy the next chapter.

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><p>I inhale the fresh scent of pine and oak from the surrounding trees and sweet floral scent from the flowers while the soft summer breeze played with the lose strands of my hair. I stop to retrieve my bow and sheath of arrows from the hollow log. I carefully unwrap the bow and arrows from the waterproof cover. I notice that the fabric is starting to get thin and worn out and make a mental note to trade for some more at the Hob. As soon as I stash the cloth back in the hollow log, I set out to the hill that Gale and I use as our meeting place.<p>

I reach the top of the hill and find him already sitting by our favourite rock ledge. "Hey Catnip. Late as usual," he says when he see's the outline of the shadow of my bow and arrow on the grass.

"I wasn't late, you were just early," I retort back at him with a playful smile. "Caught anything yet?" I ask sitting down next to him.

"Only a rabbit," he replies showing me the rabbit stuck to his belt. Although hunting is illegal and punishment for doing so is death, I would do anything if it meant to keep my family alive.

He takes out a shiny ripe red apple from his game bag, "apple?" he tosses it to me and I catch it. My stomach growls in response as I take a huge bit out of it and feel the juice saturate my tongue and coat my lips.

It only takes me a couple of minutes for me to completely devour the apple right until the core. We check our current snare traps and reset them. We move deeper into the woods and I feel at home again. The fresh misty air, the trees and the comforting echoes of the animals lurking nearby.

I stop in my tracks and hear the rustle of the surrounding foliage. I spin my body round and lock my arrow in position. I see the fuzzy grey tail of my prey that conceals itself in the copses.

I squint my right eye and release the arrow from my tight grip. I feel the wind brush against my cheek as the arrow soars, easily cutting through the atmosphere. I hear the light thud of the small animal falling on the hard packed ground.

A warm feeling of satisfaction runs through my veins. The same feeling I had when I caught my first squirrel. I rush over to the bush and pull out the dead squirrel. The arrow protrudes from its lifeless body. I yank the arrow out, clean the blood off on some moss and place it into my game bag.

My father taught me everything there is to know about hunting and skinning game. From what types of plants should be avoided and where the best hiding spots are. It was Gale who taught me the extras, like how to draw the perfect snare and what animals are easier to trap than others.

Gale and I met a couple of days after the mining incident happened. I plucked up the courage to go slip through the fence one afternoon when I came across a snare. I'd never seen one so perfectly drawn (apart from my fathers). I was about to reach out and touch it when he popped out from one of the boulders behind.

While his snare intrigued me; he was intrigued with my bow and arrow. He asked to see my bow and I immediately declined. The bow was my father's most prized possession and my only connection I had to remember of him by. It was not his calm demeanor that gave me the reassurance to trust him, but his olive complexion and steel cool grey eyes, the same Seam look I had. He wasn't going to turn me in he was just like me. Hunting for his family's survival.

We made a deal to meet down here each Sunday. I traded my knowledge on archery and he taught me snare hunting. After a few months of haggling over each other for each trade we started to help each other. We've been friends ever since.

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><p>After another successful afternoon of hunting with Gale, we managed to collect four squirrels, three rabbits, a grouse and a couple of greens. We decide to keep two of the squirrels and one rabbit aside to trade at the Hob and then split the remaining rations equally, Gale giving me more than he should.<p>

"See you tomorrow Gale," I say before I enter my home. I find my mother in her usual depressed state, sitting on the lumpy sofa staring blankly into space. I take off my hunting boots and leave them by the door before placing the food onto the small kitchen table.

I walk to the upstairs bathroom and already a small basin of water is already waiting for me along with a clean set of clothes. I begin to scrub off the dirt and sweat of my body from the woods. I untie my hair and soak it into the lukewarm water, cleaning away the remaining dirt. I then grab the small towel sitting on the edge of the basin and wipe my face clean.

I put on the new set of clothes and begin to re-braid my dampen hair.

"Katniss," I hear a soft voice from the other side of the door.

I stop re-braiding my hair and let it cascade down to my shoulders. I open the door and see Prim standing there innocently in her yellow dress. "What's wrong little duck?" I ask with a thread of concern in my voice.

"Katniss do you think we'll ever be able to eat a cake like the one at the bakery?" She asks in a soft voice and looks down at the floor. I can tell she's been thinking long and hard about this.

I bend down to her level to see a hint of hopefulness sparkling in her little cerulean eyes, meaning _will we have to live like this forever._ "Of course we will." I assure her. "Tell you what, next time we have enough money I'll get you something from the bakery, ok?" I gently pull her into my embrace and kiss her head lightly. "I promise," I whisper into her hair.

She then helps me dry my hair and re-braid it. "Now. Rabbit or squirrel stew for dinner?" I ask her as we both walk downstairs into the small kitchen.

"Rabbit!" she giggles.

"Good choice," I say with a smile before I start to skin the carcass for tonight's stew.

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><p>That night as I lay awake in my bed next to Prim, I think of what I said to her. Will things really get better or will we have to continue like this? I had never really thought about it until now.<p>

Eventually sleep overtakes me and my eyelids begin to close heavily. But tonight it's not my father that haunts my dreams; instead it's those blue eyes. The eyes that belong to _Peeta Mellark_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer - **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

**A/N -** I'm on half term for two weeks so I'll have more time to write & upload. Don't forget to review. Your feedback & suggestions means everything to me. Thank you so much

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><p>The rest of the week went by peacefully enough and by the time it was Friday, I managed to forget about the whole Peeta situation. The finale school bell rang and I'm thankful that I don't have to listen to another sentence from Mrs. Amherst's mouth. I make a beeline for the door and maneuver through the maze of students and navigate myself down the hallway to the nearest exit.<p>

When I walk outside and am instantly greeted by the sun's warm rays. I squint my eyes and bridge my hand over my forehead to block the sun's powerful rays. I blink my eyes, adjusting to the light change and continue walking to the usual spindly tree.

Once I reach the tree I prop my heavy bag onto the ground and sit down. I twist a blade of grass, letting it slip delicately through my fingers. It's the simplest thing that nature has to offer which brings a smile upon my face. I keep my eyes on the ground, watching the small ladybug climb up the blade of grass.

I'm too absorbed in watching nature's beauty that I don't even hear the sound of footsteps approaching, until the sole of shoes crunch down onto the blade of grass. I avert my eyes from the ground and am greeted by a pair of brown boots. My gaze travels up from the shoes until I can see his face. His blue eyes staring hard down at me.

I hastily stand up and swing my bag over my shoulder. He just continues to stare at me. It truly felt like he was cutting through me. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?" I ask coldly breaking the awkward silence.

"Like what?" he asks puzzled, looking me directly in the eye.

"Like that!" I point out.

A confused expression etched across his face while he arched his eyebrows. "Like what?" he repeats.

"Like—ugh, never mind." I fix the strap of my bag that has now twisted. "What are you doing here anyway?" I ask with an annoyed huff. "I don't recall you having any younger siblings," I stated crossing my arms across my chest.

He scratched the back of his neck nervously with a slight shy smile on his face. "I just wanted to thank you for the squirrel," he says genuinely.

Why was he thanking me? He's never done that before. "No need to thank me, it was a simple trade," I say brushing past the subject.

_Thankfully _the school bell rang and the awkward tension was broken. I turn around and see the kids running out in glee that another week is over. I see Prim walking towards us with a radiant smile plastered across her face. The minute she reaches us I enclose my hand protectively within her smaller one.

"Hey Katniss," she greets me in her usual exuberant fashion. "Who's your friend?" she asks curiously.

Before I can speak he cuts me off. "Peeta Mellark and you must be Primrose Everdeen" he extends his hand and she smiles sweetly before giving it a quick shake.

How did he know her name? I don't recall telling him anything about her.

"Hi Peeta," she smiles widely. "Everyone calls me Prim," she clarifies.

"Well it's very nice to meet you Prim," he says smiling warmly at her.

"Well its time to go home Prim. I'm sure you have a lot of school work to do," I say firmly but calmly.

She smiles and nods her head in agreement. "Nice to meet you Peeta," she waves with her free hand before we both walk out of the school grounds till we're out of his sight.

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><p>Once we reach home, Prim immediately dives into questions. "Why was he talking to you?" she asked curiously. "I don't think I've seen you with him around school."<p>

"That's because we're not—" I stop cutting the slice of bread from the loaf. Were we friends? We have never spoken to each other up until that point. But I won't ever be able to forget that interaction we had five years ago, without which I wouldn't be here right now.

"We're not really friends, more like acquaintances. You know the people you see around school but you don't get to know them, but you know who they are." I tell her before I continue to cut the slice of bread and then spread some cheese onto it.

"Ohhh," she nods her head in understanding. "So what did he say?" she asks taking a small bite of her snack.

"He just thanked me for the squirrel I traded the other day," I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly as I wash my hands.

"He doesn't look like he's from the Seam," she points out. "He's got hair like Charlotte."

"That's because he's not. Now little duck, I'm going to go hunt for a few so you better start on that homework of yours," I smile cheekily as I place a light kiss on her forehead.

"Isn't Gale helping his brothers today?" she questions. "Rory said he was going to be helping with that."

I nod my head at remembering what he told me yesterday. "Yes, but there's always time for hunting," I say before going upstairs and changing into my hunting gear.

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><p>I slip through the weak point in the fence and enter the woods. I go to retrieve my bow and arrow from the hollow log when the hunting sensation and drive within me disappears all of a sudden. I decide to head down to the lake where I learnt how to swim. Even though it's quite a walk, its still nice and warm outside so I don't mind the hike.<p>

I reach the lake a couple of minutes later and its completely untouched. I haven't been down in this part of the woods in so long; I missed the sweet smell of dandelions and lily pads. The hot sun beamed down onto the stream that gave it an iridescent glow, making it shine like little gems.

I sit on my knees on the soft grass and dip my hand into the stream. It still feels the same cold as it did when I came here with my father. Like nothings changed. I decide to lie down onto the ground for a few minutes and stare up at the cloudless sky.

The sun's rays manage to make my eyelids feel heavy. I turn my head to the left where I'm faced with a single dandelion and the face of Peeta is imprinted on my mind when my eyelids close.

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><p>I wake up a couple hours later to the sound of a drip of water, followed by another and then another. My eyes open and adjust to the setting that I'm in.<p>

The sun's already set and grey clouds fill the once blue sky. It's raining and I fell asleep for god knows how long.

I quickly get up when the rain starts to pour down heavier. I run back towards the fence, my boots squishing in the mud along the way.

Once I reach the fence I lean in close again to hear if the sound of the electricity has been turned on. Are my ears deceiving me? I can hear the whirring hum and I immediately take a step back. _This can't be happening_, I think. The fence is alive with electricity.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

I'm so happy you like this story. Sorry this chapter is short.

**WANTED:** I'm in desperate need of a Beta Reader. Must know the HG fandom well, can be able to correct my grammar and spelling mistakes (I miss so many out) & will reply quickly (I'm a really inpatient person) if you're interested please message me (: I would really appreciate it. **UPDATE: I've got a Beta Reader**

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><p>My feet back up and I blend into the trees. This has happened before but I've always had Gale with me, this time I'm on my own. Why has it been turned on? Did someone see me slip through the entrance and report it? I carefully look around and there are no Peacekeepers in sight.<p>

I look up at the sky, the clouds are gathering as they begin turning dark with rain. Any contact with the chain link would mean instant electrocution. I spot a maple tree with a high branch. I begin to climb up the tree trying my best to avoid the pointy branches but nevertheless, they scrape my face bringing up fresh cuts upon my face as well as my arms. I reach to the branch and take a good look down at the jump I'm going to make. Although I'm experienced with tree climbing this is a dangerous drop. But I have no other choice.

I slowly lower myself until I'm hanging by my hands. I close my eyes and the image of the dandelion fills my thoughts again before I gather the courage and release my fingers. I land on the soggy floor with a jolt; earning a few more scrapes and cuts on the way.

I wince in pain and try to see the damaged. I've defiantly broken something I know that for sure. My hair is soaked in mud, disheveled and plastered across my forehead. I manage to lift myself up of the ground and walk, or limp, carefully back home, thankful that we only live a couple houses down.

As I open the door the wind is knocked out of me when Prim crushes me into a hug, "Oh Katniss, you took forever! I was so worried!" she says burying her face into my wet jacket.

I try not to wince as she continues to crush me in her tight grip. When I don't say anything she looks up and notices the cuts on my face as well as my arms. She gasps in shock and lets go of me, "Katniss what happened!" she asks frantically.

"We need to get you upstairs right away!" she gets into nurse mood and rushes me upstairs into the bathroom. She quickly fills a tub of lukewarm water and helps me undress and get into the basin.

The warm water feels so refreshing against my bare skin. I slowly close my eyes and sit there while Prim gently begins to untie the knots in my back and shoulders.

We stay silent for a while as she then goes onto scrub me down, washing away the dirt and the mud. "How bad is it?" I ask hoarsely.

"It could be worse," she says honestly as she continues to gently scrub me down.

"Its good you've been learning from mother. We could always use another nurse in the family. You're really good," I tell her truthfully as I watch her in deep concentration as she then places a flannel under my eye where the bad cut rests.

Her cheeks turn pink at the compliment and she ducks her head. "I still need a lot of practice."

I finally get out of the water a while later and dress in my nightclothes. Prim then brushes my hair. She continues to brush it until its smooth and straight. She doesn't braid it into the traditional style, yet she leaves it down and then bandages my knee and hands.

She pulls down the covers on the bed and I crawl in, taking pleasure in the feeling of the mattress sinking to accommodate my body. She then gently tucks the blankets around me.

"Now do you want to tell Nurse Prim what happened?" she asks as she raises her eyebrows and sits on the edge of the bed.

I sigh in defeat tell her how I suddenly didn't feel like hunting and accidently fell asleep leaving out the lake part. I then go on to tell her about the fence and how the electricity was turned on and had to resort into climbing up the tree. "I feel much better now," I tell her truthfully.

Prim nods her head in approval, "Get some rest". But before I close my eyes she grips tightly onto my hand and I look into her eyes and see thankfulness and revilement. She doesn't need to say it; I already know what those eyes mean. _Don't do it again, I could've lost you._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

**A/N:** I wasn't expecting to get all those reviews over night, so thank you so much! The position for being my Beta Reader is still open, so if you're interested please Personal Message me :) **UPDATE: I've got a Beta Reader**

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><p>I wake up the following morning to the sounds of purring. I slowly open my eyes and they travel around the room. They stop on Buttercup who is sitting lazily on my mother's bed, staring at me with those orange eyes of his. I rub the sleep away from my eyes as I yawn and look at the small window. The bright sun's light streams through and casts an orange glow over the dwellings of the small bedroom.<p>

It takes me a minute or two to adjust to the light; it looks like its early afternoon/late morning. I pull the rough covers off my body and am instantly greeted by the cold draft. I swing my feet off the bed and plant them onto the hardwood flour. I stretch my arms and let out a small yawn.

Buttercup's eyes narrow at me and another hiss escapes his mouth. "I'll still cook you," I mutter as I enter the bathroom. He hisses once more and leaps of the bed and strays into the next room.

Before I can wash my face, I hear footsteps rush up the rickety stairs and its not too long before Prim is in the bathroom. "Katniss, what are you doing up?" she asks me and ushers me out of the room. Before I can even explain she cuts me off. "Your back and knee isn't fully recovered yet," she explains.

"It's a lot better than last night," I tell her truthfully.

"It may feel better but its not healed. I saw you limping," she says and puts me back into the bed. The sheets were still warm with my body heat and I snuggle into them. "What you need is rest," her calming voice makes me want to fall back asleep and before I know it, I'm sent into a dreamless sleep.

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><p>I slept for most of day and am only awaken for meals. Prim makes me a sandwich for lunch with the remaining bread and cheese we have left and I make a mental note to trade for some more.<p>

When I'm awaken for dinner its not Prim who wakes me up its my mother. When I look at her I notice that there isn't any tearstains on her face. She's not wearing her usual Seam clothes but a simple light green dress from her apothecary days. Her blonde hair is let down freely to her shoulders, framing her worn out face.

There's only one reason why she isn't locked up in her room and crying. She's a healer, whenever someone is hurt or injured she snaps out of her depression state and back into reality.

"How are you feeling?" her voice is soft and it's the first time I've heard it in a long time. She sets down what looks to be a hot steaming bowl soup on the side table. I take one glance at it and it's not the usual soup I get from Greasy Sae. Its one of my mother's homemade recipes she used to make when Prim and I were little.

I nod my head and she plants a small kiss on my forehead before walking out. I inhale the scent of fresh herbs and I feel like a child again. I take my time to eat the soup, savouring each taste as it hits my taste buds. The hot liquid travels down my throat, burning yet soothing and into my digestive system, the first warm thing I've had all day.

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><p>"Are you sure you're feeling better Katniss?" Prim asks me the next morning with concern embedded in her cerulean eyes as she strokes Buttercup who only continues to hiss.<p>

"I'm fine little duck, thanks to you." I look at my mother whose in the kitchen today cutting up the last of the greens. "I'll bring back some of the berries you like okay?" I reassure her.

"I won't be long," I kiss her forehead before I sling my forage bag over my shoulder and leave the house.

The rain from last night has certainty made it harder to trudge through the meadow. I've already worn out the shoes and I can't afford to get them even more ruined. I glance around before I slip through the entrance and enter the meadow.

I quickly grab my sheath of bow and arrows and make my way over to Gale. We manage to collect some fish, a couple of rabbits, a turkey and squirrels. It felt good to get out of the house and enjoy the comforts of the woods.

Once we finish hunting Gale informs me that he has to head home to help his mother with some of the housework. I offer to help but he waves it off. We both divide up the meat and I tell him that I'll go and trade the squirrels to Mr. Mellark and the rest we can do tomorrow after school.

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><p>I peer through the bakery window to make sure Mrs. Mellark is not there. When I see no sight of her I push open the door and enter. The warm atmosphere from the large ovens and the smell of freshly baked bread and flour instantly greets me. The bakery is quiet because it's Sunday, but its business is as usual. I spot Mr. Mellark working at the counter flipping through some papers.<p>

"Hello Mr. Mellark," I say as I approach him. "I've got some squirrels to trade," I say placing my bag down onto the counter.

He places the paper he was reading aside and a smile creases his face, "wonderful. Let's take a look then."

I unzip my bag and pull out the two red squirrels. He takes the squirrels from me and examines them carefully. "Caught them fresh this morning," I tell him.

"Fantastic shot," he says admiring the punctured wound. "Always straight through the eye. How much do you want for it?" he asks.

"How about two loaves of bread and some rolls?" I say. I'll keep one for my family and give the other one for Gale's and spilt the rolls.

"That sounds like a good deal. Peeta!" he calls out. "Could you please get Miss Everdeen two fresh loaves and some rolls from the back?"

I hear trays clattering and paper crinkling as he puts the bread into bags. Peeta appears a few minutes later, with streaks of flour over his cheek and sweat brews his forehead.

"Thank you," I say and take the bag from him. Our fingers lightly brush against each other and I ignore the strange feeling I have in the pit of my stomach. The aroma of bread must be making me hungry.

"Thank you Mr. Mellark," I say.

"No, thank you for the fresh meat. We'll use it to cook up a good stew tonight," he says.

I look around and spot some frosted cookies and think back to the promise I made Prim. "Mr. Mellark, how much are those cookies over there?" I ask pointing to the frosted ones on display.

"$2.99 each," he states.

I know for sure that I don't have enough for that. I nod my head, "okay thank you. I was hoping to get one for Prim, maybe next time. I'll see you later, pleasure doing business," I say before I make my way to the door and leave the shop.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and put this story on alert. You have no idea how happy that makes me. I never thought that I'd get 40+ reviews, let alone 1 when I first started, so thank you!

I've got a Beta Reader who is really lovely, her name is **Sarah (TheSilverOak)** and I want to thank her so much for helping me with this chapter.

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><p>The next couple days at school go by in a breeze and before I know it, it's Thursday. I leave the classroom when the bell rings and head down to the grassy area. The grass is starting to grow; they should cut it down, I think as I continue walking. My thoughts are interrupted when I see the sight of Peeta standing in my spot with his back pressed against the tree bark and his arms folded across his chest.<p>

I have to squint my eyes to make sure that I am seeing things correctly. Of course it is him. The sun hits him perfectly, bringing out his features. His ash blonde hair shines in the high noon sun. His sharp eyes were focused solely on the cloudless sky. _Why is he standing there?_ I think to myself.

The bell rings moments later and his eyes avert from the cloudless sky to me. Ours eyes locked, grey against blue. He pushes his weight off the tree and starts to walk towards me. I hear footsteps approaching from behind me and I turn around to see Prim with a radiant smile painted across her face. "Hey, Katniss!" she says cheerfully, which brings a small smile upon my face.

"Hey, little duck. Good day?" I ask her, taking her small hand in mine.

She nods her head. "Hi Peeta! It's nice to see you again," she greets him excitedly.

I turn around and face Peeta, who is smiling brilliantly at Prim, his blonde curls glowing in a ray of sunlight. "Prim, just the girl I was looking for," he says with a genuine smile.

"I am?" she questions curiously, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

He smiles and nods as he reaches into his school bag. Tentatively, I take a few steps forward, intrigued to see what he's taking out. He hands her a small brown paper bag and I immediately grab it off him.

"Katniss!" Prim shrieks.

I ignore her shrieks as I open the bag and pull out the contents. A cookie frosted in the shape of primroses.

Prim's eyes light up and a huge smile spreads across her face. "Those are Primroses!" She grabs the cookie off me and begins to observe it more carefully. "How did you get them?" she asks, looking up at him.

"Did your sister ever tell you I work at the bakery?" he shifts his gaze towards me and I return him with a glare.

She shakes her head, "No, she didn't." She furrows her eyebrows and looks up at me.

"Well, I design the cakes. Frost them and the cookies as well," he explains.

"The cakes are beautiful!" she sighs dreamily. "Aren't they, Katniss?"

I look into the bag to see what else is in it and there are about five more frosted cookies. I look up and meet his eyes once again. "We can't afford this," I say coldly, returning the bag to him. "Prim, give the cookie back."

Her smile falters as the words escape my mouth and I widen my eyes at her as a gesture to return the cookie.

She begins to hand the cookie back when Peeta shakes his head in disapproval. "I'm not asking for anything; it's a simple gift," he clarifies.

"A gift?" I say, spitting out the word. "For what?" I ask as I cross my arms across my chest.

"Isn't that what friends do?"

"Friends?" I ask spitting out the word from my mouth as if it were a foreign language.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about this here. Why don't we go for a walk?" he suggests as he hands Prim back the cookie.

"Oh, please, Katniss!" Prim pleads.

"I don't know, Prim, we have to get home," I say to her authoritatively.

"You can walk with us to the edge of the town," Prim says politely. I flash her a look but she grabs my hand before I can say anything and the three of us start walking to the edge of the town.

* * *

><p>Prim walks in front of us, silently skipping and eating the cookie happily. "Peeta, you know I can't afford to pay for these," I gesture to the bag I'm holding, careful not to rattle them in case they break.<p>

He shakes his head, "Katniss, like I said, it's a gift. A friendly gesture from one friend to another," he explains again.

"If either of us should be owing anything to the other, it should be me," I whisper.

"You mean about the bread?"

My eyes widened in shock. "You still remember?" I ask in disbelief. After all these years, I thought it was just me who could never forget that memory.

He nods his head. "You still remember?"

"How could I forget? We were starving and you—" my voice breaks as I think of the possibility of what would have happened if he didn't throw me the bread. Would I still be alive? But the thought that haunts me the most is what would've happened to Prim. The thought of anything happening to Prim is too painful to imagine.

"I owe you," I whisper again. "What you did for me, my family, was more than I could've asked for," I say, meaning every word.

"You don't owe me anything," he says in his usual calm demeanor.

"And that time at the bakery a couple weeks ago, you never said anything but I knew you were telling me that your mother was there and not in the mood for funny business. If you—who knows what she would've done?"

* * *

><p>We reach the end of the town a couple minutes after and we both stop at the area separating the merchant area from the seam. We stand in silence for a moment and I stare down at the ground until I feel Prim's small hands enclose mine. "It was nice walking with you, Peeta, we should do it again sometime," she says, taking the last bite of her cookie. "Oh, and thank you for the cookie! It was delicious," she compliments licking the remaining cookie crumbs off her lips.<p>

A smile grazes over his facial features. "How about next week? Thursday's are my days off from working."

Her eyes light up in glee, "that would be great!"

"Enjoy those cookies and don't eat too much," he smiles cheekily.

"See you tomorrow?" he asks me.

"What?"

"I mean as in see you at school," he clarifies.

"Oh, yeah," I tell him before we both go out separate ways. This time, it's me. I look over my shoulder and watch him jog off into the merchant area. It finally hits me now that he's going to be walking with me and Prim next Thursday. _What have I got myself into?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for your reviews, they literally mean everything to me. This chapter took me quite a while to do but I managed to finish it in the end. And again, thank you to my Beta Reader Sarah, for helping me (:

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><p>Next Thursday arrived much quicker than I had anticipated. A small part of me was looking forward to seeing Prim excited and happy and another part was just nervous. <em>Why was I so nervous? It's just Peeta.<em>

When I exit the junior side of the school at the end of the day, I make my way over to the grassy area where Peeta is already waiting by the tree silently observing his surroundings. When I approach him, I keep my gaze fixed on the green turf below my feet and neither of us make an attempt to say anything.

An uncomfortable silence looms over us like a shadow. "Thank you," I genuinely say, finally breaking the silence. He turns his body around to face me. I snap my attention away from the ground and look up at him. His thick eyebrows are knitted together, forming a small crease on his forehead.

"For giving the cookie to Prim last week," I begin to explain, "you didn't have to—"

He waves it off, "Don't mention it," he says, smiling kindly at me.

The bell rings seconds later and I see Prim exit the school with her two friends by her side. She gives them a quick goodbye wave before merrily skipping her way over to us. "Hi, Peeta!" she greets him excitedly.

I take a hold of her hand protectively and she gives it a little squeeze of reassurance. "Hello, Prim," he says with a genuine smile across his face.

* * *

><p>We start walking slowly under the hot sun through the town. I keep my gaze fixed on the ground, while Peeta and Prim continue to talk about school and his life at the bakery.<p>

"So what's it like working at the bakery?" she asks in her adorable voice, "It must be so much fun, being surrounded by all those cakes and cookies; and the best part, you get to eat them," she says, her eyes lighting up in delight.

A smile tugs at the corner of Peeta's lips and even I have to lift my head up because I'm curious of the answer. "Well, it's nice most of the time. Unlike my brothers, I enjoy it even if it means getting up at the crack of dawn. But, really, we're not allowed to eat the cakes or cookies," he explains.

This surprises me as well as Prim. Her mouth forms into an O shape as she takes an understanding of the information. "I would've thought that a family that has all those ingredients wouldn't have to worry about stuff like that," I pipe in, taking an interest into the conversation.

He shakes his head softly and his eyes meet mine, sparkling blue on cold grey. "If we eat them, then we won't have anything to sell," he tells me, and I can see the logic in that. If they don't sell, then they can't make money and if they don't make a profit, then they can't afford to buy new ingredients.

"But I'm sure you can eat a cookie or two?" Prim asks.

"Well, we eat what's usually leftover, and, by that time, they're all stale and rock hard." The corner of Prim's lips turn into a small frowns at the sound of this.

"Speaking of cookies," he slings his school bag off his shoulder and unzips it. He pulls out a small brown paper bag. "I made some new shaped cookies this morning and I could really use your opinion on it," he then unrolls the lip of the bag and pulls out a small cookie frosted perfectly into the shape of a rose.

"It's similar to the one I made last week, only this time I used a different type of frosting," he explained whilst he handed her the cookie.

She stared at the cookie in her hand, taking in the news that Peeta told us. "Are you sure this is okay?" she asks. "I don't want to get you into trouble or anything."

"It's perfectly fine Prim," he reassures her with a smile.

She snapped the cookie in half and plopped the first half right into her mouth. She closed her eyes the second the burst of sugar hit her taste buds. "Mmmm! This is delicious! Katniss, you have to try some!" she exclaimed, handing me the other half.

I shake my head softly, "It's fine, Prim, you eat it. Go ahead."

She shrugged her shoulders and put the second half into her mouth before skipping along in front of us.

"How's your mother?" he asks when Prim is a bit ahead of us. Out of all the things we could've talked about, he decides to talk about families.

"She's fine," I say honestly. Ever since that fall in the woods, I've been seeing more of my mother _being a mother_ lately. She's even started to help around the house and I could've sworn I heard her singing one morning. But I won't get too attached to this idea; who knows when she'll fall back into her depressed state?

"That's great," he says.

"How is your family? You have two brothers, don't you?" I ask, remembering the time he wrestled them at school, coming only in second place.

He nods, "They're all good. We've been getting more orders at the bakery. Dad's loving it, but that means more work for us, which they're not too happy about." A small laugh manages to escape my mouth at the sound of this. I look up at Peeta and see a smile painted across his face. The first smile that reaches his eyes.

* * *

><p>The conversation continues on this way until we finally reach the edge of the town. "It was nice walking with you again, Peeta. And thank you for the cookie; it was delicious! I'm sure they'll be a bestseller. Could we do it again?" she pleads looking up at me with those blue eyes.<p>

It's moments like these where I'm reminded just how precious life is and that I would do anything possible to keep that smile on her face. "I suppose it's okay," I start only to be cut off again.

"Great!" she shouts out in joy. "How about next Thursday again?" she asks, looking at Peeta with hopeful eyes.

"That sounds great. And I'm very glad you liked the cookie. I'll be sure to make more of them. Bye, Katniss! Bye, Prim," he says with one final smile before walking in the opposite direction to the merchant area.

I feel Prim's hand enclose mine and I smile and softly kiss her forehead. I wonder how many times I'm going to have the image of Peeta's smile imprinted on my mind.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

**A/N:** Thank you for all the reviews again I really can't thank you enough. This is one of my favourite chapters & I hope you enjoy it. Some people have requested some Peeta & Katniss fluff ;) I'm not the best at writing fluff but I'll do my best for you guys. This is one of the longest chapters (so far) so thank you to my Beta Sarah for reading it. So without further ado, here's the next chapter (:

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><p>The next couple of weeks passed by swiftly within a blink of an eye. Every Thursday Peeta, Prim and I would walk home from school to the edge of the town. While Prim skipped ahead of us, eating whatever delicious treats Peeta brought for her, Peeta and I talked about various things, from school to family life.<p>

It's the end of another hot week and as usual I'm waiting for Prim by the tree when Peeta unexpectedly makes his way towards me. "Hey Katniss," he said his voice rich and smooth like red velvet cake.

"Its Friday." I state, "don't you have work today?" I question, knitting my eyebrows together in confusion.

He nods his head in approval, "I do, but I've been thinking," he starts off by scratching the back of his neck. "Do you and Prim want to come by the bakery and help out with the cakes? I just thought it would be nice since Prim loves taking about the cakes and cookies."

"Ohh…" I say averting my gaze to the ground. I wasn't expecting this. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea," I say warily. I purse my lips into a tight line as I begin to ponder on the idea. Prim did _love _talking about the bakery, but I couldn't help to feel a bit dubious and fearful. "Your mother—"

He cuts me off before I can finish speaking, "my mother isn't home today, so there's nothing to worry about," he says, his voice genuine and sincere as he places his gentle hand on my shoulder.

His actions cause me to shift my gaze from the ground up to his heartwarming oceanic orbs. My eyes began to meticulously study his face intently. "I still don't know," I say unsure of the idea.

"Why don't you ask Prim first?" he suggests.

* * *

><p>Of course Prim said yes, how could she not turn down this offer. She's always wanted to bake the perfect cake and her opportunity was here. <em>This is for Prim<em> I tell myself as we walk towards the bakery.

When we reach the bakery Prim's cerulean orbs swirled with excitement and her mouth opens agape like a fish. Peeta opens the door for us and we enter the vacant shop. We're instantly greeted with its warm atmosphere from the large industrialized ovens on the side of the room. The redolent aroma of flour and bread rising makes my mouth water. "Wow," Prim exclaims breathlessly.

"The aprons are over there," he points to a rack of white aprons hanging on some hooks by the window, "grab on and we'll get started," he instructs before making his way to the back room.

We both walk over to the apron rack and grab one. Prim slips on the white apron over her tiny frame and begins to fumble with the strings as she tries to tie them. I bend down and began to tie the strings into a secure bow for her, but she starts to jump and down from the excitement.

"Stay still little duck," I smile cheekily and she stands firmly still, as if her feet were nailed to the ground.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so excited Katniss! Thank you for agreeing to this," she says once I finish tying her bow and crushes me into a tight embrace. I wrap my arms around her slim body and hold her close to my chest.

I pull apart from the embrace and give her a quick kiss on the forehead before we both walk over to the main counter. Peeta walks back out and I notice that he has changed his attire into his baker uniform, and the first thing I notice are how strong and muscular his arms are.

"So what do you want to bake first?" he asks sprinkling some flour down onto the counter.

It only takes Prim a couple of seconds to conjure up an idea. "Cookies!" she exclaims.

Am amused chuckle slipped from his lips, "now how did I know you were going to say that?"

"Like the cookies with Primroses on them, they were delicious."

"Alright lets get started. First we'll need to make the dough." He explains as he begins to blend some ingredients together. Once he finishes mixing the ingredients he places the finished product of the dough onto the counter. "This is what you'll be doing, so watch carefully." His fingers work like magic as he kneads the dough and I find myself staring at his arms again. They tense and relax as they move with such precision and speed. He absent mildly wipes the beads of sweat streaking flour across his forehead and turns his attention to us. "Just like that, now it's your turn," he says.

Prim excitedly begins to mold the dough in front of her into different shapes and I bite down at my bottom lip nervously watching her.

"Are you sure Peeta? I don't want to waste your ingredients," I tell him truthfully

He shakes his head, "I'm sure."

I look down at the dough unsure of what to do and dig my hands into it. Immediately I can feel the soft, smooth, velvet texture that envelopes my hand, not the hard, grainy texture they give us to use from the rations we get. He watches me carefully and then a chuckle escapes his lips.

"What?" I say more harshly than I want to.

"You're doing it wrong," he clarifies. But before I can even press further I feel his hands on top of mine. His touch was . . . fragile. His hands were larger than mine. They were soft and warm just like the flour. He moves closer to me, closing the space between us so my back is gently pressing against his chest. "Baking is an art," he says softly with his lips dangerously close to my ear as he guides my hands through the flour.

"Like this?" I whisper quietly as I move my hand delicately through the flour.

"Just like that," he says, his voice low and soothing. His breath danced against my ear, which made my stomach do somersaults.

"I did it!" I hear Prim squeal in delight.

Peeta moves away and I suddenly miss the warmth of his hands and his closeness. "That's it Prim. Now I'm going to put these in the oven and we can frost the ones that I've made earlier," he brings out a tray of at least a dozen golden cookies that are cooked to perfection.

Peeta hands Prim the piping bag and she holds it carefully in her small hands. She bites down at her bottom lip nervously. "I don't want to ruin it," she says honestly.

"Don't worry Prim," he says in a reassuring tone, "just give it a go," he says and she begins to squeeze the end of the piping bag and blue swirls begin to appear on the cookie.

"I've ruined it!" she exclaims with a frown.

"No you haven't. Like this," he takes the piping bag and shows her how to make the shape of a flower on the cookie. "Just gently squeeze like that. Remember baking is an art. Think of the cookie as your blank canvas and picture in your head what you want to be on it," he says before he hands it back to her.

She bites her lip down in concentration as she gently squeezes the bag. Thin lines now appear onto the cookie and she manages to frost a little flower, although it's not perfect like Peeta, a smile still paints across her face.

* * *

><p>We spend another good thirty minutes baking cookies until I remember I promised Gale that we could go hunting. "Ok Prim, time to go," I tell her softly as I take off my apron and hang it back.<p>

"Aww!" her smile curves downwards into a small frown. "It was so much fun," she says as I help her take off the apron.

Peeta begins to place some of the cookies into a little brown paper bag along with a fresh loaf of bread.

"Thank you for letting us bake today Peeta! We had so much fun," Prim gives him a hug from the waist and then happily skips outside.

"Thank you Peeta, I had a good time," I say before he hands me the bag. "Ohh I can't pay for those," I say.

The corners of his lips curved up effortlessly into a sweet smile, showing his perfect pearly teeth. "No need, it's a thank you gift for helping me out today," he says.

A small smile manages to tug at the corner of my lips and it's the first genuine and real smile I give him. "Bye," I say and walk out of the bakery.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

**A/N:** You have no idea how much your reviews mean to me :') I know I say this before each chapter but thank you, I can't thank you guys enough. I'm really glad you all liked the previous chapter.

I'm sorry I didn't update for a couple of days, this chapter took me a while to write. The current outline is that I have another five more chapters left. But fear not, I have a new story planned out and am really excited to start writing it. Hope you enjoy this chapter (even though it is a little short)

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><p>Once Prim and I reach home, she goes to the kitchen to feed Buttercup and Lady. I quickly go upstairs and change into my hunting gear. Once I'm dressed, I walk back downstairs into the kitchen and am greeted to the sight of Prim feeding Buttercup one of her cookies, and to my surprise, he actually liked it.<p>

"Prim, I don't think cats can eat cookies," I smile cheekily at her as I grab my dad's hunting jacket hanging from the back of the door and slip it on.

Buttercup hisses at me in response. "I know, but he likes it," she says with a giggle and feeds him some more.

"Don't feed him all of it. Get yourself cleaned up; you've got flour all in your hair," I grin and plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back soon, okay? Love you," Buttercup hisses at me again as I sling my game bag over my shoulder and leave the house.

I jog my way through the ashy streets of the districts until I approach the metal-chained linked fence. The fence is silent as I slip through the loosened edges. The woods feel refreshing today. The wildflowers and plants bloom lavishly, and the trees block the heat created by the glaring sun.

The leaves crunch underneath my boots as I quickly go to retrieve my bow and arrow from the hollow log. I sling my stealth of arrows on my back and make my way to our usual meeting place. I gather a couple of berries, nuts and herbs along the way and place them safely in my game bag.

I reach the top of the hill and Gale is already sitting in the shade by the big tree. "Finally! I was beginning to think you weren't going to come," he said.

I playfully roll my eyes and sit down next to him on the grass. I pick some blackberries off a nearby bush and nibble on them. The sweet tang explodes across my tongue, a refreshing flavor.

"Katniss, why do you have flour in your hair?" he asks curiously as tries to brush it away.

I blink, confused at the question, running a hand through my hair again and look at the white powder on my fingers. I blush slightly. "Ohhhh. Prim and I were at the bakery helping Peeta with his orders," I say, averting my gaze down to the ground, not wanting to meet his gaze.

"So, what have you caught?" I ask quickly, hoping to change the topic away from the flour that still clung to my hair, leaving a good part of it almost white.

"You were baking with him?" he asks in a tight voice. His calm demeanor has disappeared, replaced by ire and annoyance – a demeanor he doesn't wear often. I can even see the glint of fire in his eyes.

"Prim wanted to. There's nothing wrong with that!"

"Katniss," he states firmly as he runs his hands through his hair in a distressed manner. "I just don't want you to get hurt," he says, the spark of fire that was once ignited in his eyes gone.

"We're just friends, Gale!" I protest. "You of all people should know that I don't have time for a relationship."

"I know that. I'm only trying to protect you," he says, and there is a note of rising anger in his tone.

"I don't need protection!" I snapped, getting angry.

"He's from the Merchant area," he points out fiercely.

"So? Madge is from there and we're friends," I retort.

"I'm just saying that boys like that only want one thing," he says firmly through his gritted teeth.

"Boys like what, Gale? Kind, generous and sweet?" I find myself asking, _where did those words come from?_

"Forget it, Katniss, let's just go hunt before it gets dark," he says before he gets up and starts walking into the woods.

* * *

><p>The next couple of days go by normally until its Thursday. I find Peeta already waiting for me by the tree, but this time he's got an extra bag with him.<p>

"Hi, Katniss," he says in his usual voice.

"Hi," I say. "What's in the bag?" I ask curiously.

"Ohhh, this," he gestures down to the bag. "Just a little something I made for you and Prim," he hands me the bag carefully and I look inside. It's not cookies this time that rests inside, but two fresh loaves of sweet bread and a dozen cheese buns. My favourite.

My grey orbs dilate in shock. "Peeta, I can't accept this!" I yell out in frustration.

"God, Katniss, why do you always do this?" this time he yells out. I've never seen this side of him before.

"Why do I always do what? This isn't a gift, Peeta! What do you want from us?"

"God, Katniss! I want to know what your favourite colour is, what your biggest fear is. What your favourite flower is, I just, I—"

I'm taken by surprise when he cups my face in his warm, gentle hands and looks me dead in the eye before I feel his soft lips pressed against mine.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

**A/N:** You have actually no idea how happy I am right now. I recently just hit 100 reviews and words cannot expresses how thankful I am for you guys (: thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and extra thank you to those you review it.

I want to apologize for taking a week to write this chapter, I did have some difficulty on where I wanted it to go, but I got to grips with it in the end. I hope you enjoy it!

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><p>My eyelids slowly fluttered shut as I felt his lips gently move against mine in a sweet, blissful kiss. His lips were warm and inviting. They were cushiony and soft like velvet, and I marveled at how they fit perfectly with the contours of my lips without mistake, like two puzzle pieces made for each other.<p>

He peels his lips away from mine very slowly, savoring the taste of my first kiss. His cerulean orbs stared longingly, burning with such intensity and passion into my gray ones and I could see it, the twinkle of love and affection.

The school bell rings seconds later and he doesn't say anything but quickly walks off into the direction that leads to the exit of the school grounds. I watch him walk away, my mouth parted slightly, forming a perfect 'O'. _Peeta Mellark had just kissed me_.

I then hear the sound of footsteps approaching from behind me and feel a small hand enclose mine. I look down to my right and see Prim with a wide smile painted across her face, in her other hand she holds a bunch of bright, blooming dandelions.

"Hey, Katniss," she greets me in her usual exuberant fashion. "Was that Peeta?" A puzzled look etched across her face as her thin eyebrows knitted together, forming a small crease on her forehead.

_Did she see the kiss? She couldn't have_. "Hey, little duck," I reply with a hint of nervousness behind my voice. "Sorry I didn't see you there. Did you have a good day?" I ask, gesturing to the flowers as we begin to walk out of the school.

She nods her head but then her eyes narrow curiously. "Its Thursday, isn't Peeta going to walk with us?" she asks again.

"Not today, little duck."

"Ohhh," the corner of her lips curved downwards into a small frown. "Why?"

"They've got some important orders that need to be made," I say to her. I hate lying to her, but I just couldn't be in his presence, for now anyways. "So what did you learn today?" I say moving swiftly onto a different subject.

The smile on her face reappears and I can tell she's going to tell me everything they learnt about plants until we make it home. "You'll never believe what our class is doing!"

* * *

><p>Prim continued to talk about the different plants and flowers they studied today. I managed to listen to parts of it, like how their class is doing an experiment by placing one plant in the cupboard with hardly any light and one near the window to see which one grows to be the healthiest.<p>

I tried to pay attention to her but my mind kept drifting back to the kiss. I placed my finger tentatively to my lips and quickly jerked it back. They were still warm and burning from his touch.

"Katniss, can I please?" I snap out of my trance and look down at Prim.

"I'm sorry what was that, little duck?" I hadn't realized that we were already in the merchant area.

"Can I quickly go into the flower shop? Please? These dandelions would go great with some Primroses," she asks with pleading eyes.

"Be quick," I tell her and kiss her forehead.

She hands me the dandelions before she skips merrily into the shop. I wait until I can hear her greet the shop owner before I drop my heavy bag down on the floor and lean against the old wooden framing of the shop. Prim was going to be while, no doubt deciding which flower was the most perfect and prettiest to accommodate her set.

I look down at the bunch of dandelions clutched in my hand. To Prim they were just a bunch of dandelions, but to me, it's a symbol of hope. A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips as I continue to examine them. The sun hits each flower perfectly, bringing out its yellow petals. I bring the dandelion to my nose, the soft, delicate petals rubbing against my lips. I close my eyes and inhale the fresh and exotic scent the flower holds.

My mind goes instantly back to Peeta. The kiss was gentle, sweet and, dare I say it, _nice_. How could something so wrong feel so right?

The bell hanging on the door of the shop rings as Prim exits. She's holding a tiny bouquet of pale Primroses. "Did you coax him again, little duck?" I smile cheekily at her as I push myself of the wooden frame and continue to walk home.

* * *

><p>Once we get home, I decide to go hunting. Hunting would definitely take my mind off the whole Peeta situation. Thankfully, Gale is out helping his brothers; I could really use the alone time.<p>

I quickly change into my hunting gear and sprint down to the meadow. As I lean in close to hear if the electricity has been turned on, Gale enters my mind. _What if someone told him what happened? Would he still want to be friends with me? What would he think of me?_ I shake my head at these thoughts. Gale's my best friend, he wouldn't think differently of me.

When I don't hear anything, I slip through the weak point and enter the tranquility and serenity of the woods. I grab my bow and arrow from the usual hollow log and perch myself beside a bush of deep purple berries. I pluck some of them and toss a couple into my mouth. The sweet and refreshing liquid explodes across my tongue and travels down my throat.

After eating a couple more berries, I silently walk deeper into the woods with my arrow locked in position. I spot some fresh doe tracks, the first I've seen all year. I crouch down and bring my hand near the tracks, but don't touch them. I quietly stalk through the woods and crumple some leaves near my face every once in a while to hide my scent.

I continue walking until I see the doe. She's hidden behind the foliage, but she brings her head up as her ears twitch. I bring my arrow up and draw back the string until my brunched fingers touch my cheek next to my mouth. I squint my right eye and focus my attention on the doe.

But before I can release the arrow, I hear a deep booming voice from behind me, "Just what do you think you're doing?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer – **I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins.

**A/N:** Thank you again for your kind reviews. Anyone else liking the new updates the FanFiction team is making? Okay well enough about that, as I said previously, there's not too long left till the story is over. There's around 3 more chapters left. This next chapter is a little shorter than usual, but nevertheless I hope you enjoy it.

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><p>The deep voice alarmed the doe and she quickly bolted off into the midst of the thick woods as fast as her hooves could take her. My game? Gone. I could recognize his voice anywhere, but underneath his calm voice there was a thread of anger behind his words.<p>

I whip my head around in frustration and come face to face with his cold gray eyes staring down at me. His usual calm demeanor had been replaced by anger and irritation.

"Gale!" I lower my arrow that was pointing directly at his chest. "What are you doing here? I thought you were helping your brothers," I ask, knitting my eyebrows together in confusion.

He doesn't bother to answer, but instead grabs my wrist, his fingers coiled around the small circumference tightly. _What was he playing at?_ "Don't play dumb with me, Katniss. What do you think you're doing?" he gruffly asks, his words scented in an imperial tone.

I felt suffocated as he hovered me over, his eyes boring into mine. I could see the spark of fire that was gleaming in his eyes. My eyes narrowed into little silts, sharp like daggers as I yanked harshly away from his tight grip.

"I'm hunting, in case you haven't noticed," I say, gesturing to my bow and arrow. _Honestly, what else would I be doing?_ "And thanks to you, I just lost the biggest game all year," I snarl. "Now, I'm gonna have nothing."

"Not that!" he says through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching tightly. "With the baker kid," he says, his dark eyes flashing.

"What are you talking about?"

He raises his voice, the anger rushing through his body. "I just heard that he kissed you. God, Katniss, is that true?" he shouts, the veins in his neck emerging from underneath. I'd never seen him this angry before.

My orbs grew round with surprise; _had someone really seen us?_

"So it is true! God, Katniss, I thought you were smarter than that," he growls lowly, narrowing his eyes at me.

"W-what?" I ask incredulously. I could not believe the words that had just escaped his mouth.

"How many times do I have to say this? We're just friends," I say tightly through my lips. "There's nothing going on between us."

He rolled his eyes in utter annoyance and scoffed. "And friends kiss each other now do they?" he rhetorically asked. "You know why girls from the Seam _only _hang out with people like him," he hissed angrily.

"How dare you think I would even do such a thing like that? You're suppose to be my best friend, you know me better than anyone else, Gale!" I yell out in frustration, my voice resonating throughout the woods, causing some birds to fly away.

"I thought so, too," he says icily, his words cutting through me like knives. "He just doesn't want to be your friend, Katniss. People don't kiss each other accidentally unless it means something."

"You have feelings for, don't you?" he asks, his eyes flashing dangerously again.

"No! I didn't kiss him back. I don't," I say, at least I think I don't.

"Then you better go tell him that, before he gets the wrong idea," he says turning around, leaving me with my own thoughts.

"You don't understand," I whisper.

He stops in his tracks and turns around to face me. "What is there to understand? He's not like us, Catnip. He'll never know what we go through everyday just to survive. Think about it!" he says before walking away out of my sight.

It then becomes clear to me. The walks after school, the baking, the gifts and finally, the kiss. Peeta doesn't just want to be friends with me.

I touch my lips again and find that they're still burning from Peeta's touch. My stomach rolls uncomfortably. _I just want to be friends with him, that's why I didn't kiss him back_, my mind tells me, but my heart is screaming something else.


End file.
